Artemis FowlThe manuscript:part 2
by Tizronell
Summary: After being saved by Holly,Artemis must once again help his friends with what seems like an impossible task.But as it turns out due to saving his life Holly will have to pay a вig price...
1. Chapter 1

**_Chapter 1._**

Trouble Kelp tiredly rubbed his nose and looked at his partner

"Yes, I really wouldn't want to be on her place."

Nika Medici wiped an angry tear from her eye, sobbing lightly and not lowering her voice declared:

"And I really regret not having killed Lizzi on the spot!"

"Quiet now." Trouble warned. "We are in a hospital after all."

Medici evidently represented, as her fingers closed on Liz's throat. Trouble shivered.

"Poor Holly!" Nika sobbed again.

Trouble stroked her hair.

"Poor Holly. " He repeated

A young nurse flew to the strange pair sitting in the spacious corridor of hospital under the name of name the San di Classa. Flew up literally because the girl a sprite.

"Are you the one who asked about Artemis's Fowl condition?" She asked.

Nika nodded.

——————————————————

Artemis first realized that he was alive, when he felt something sharp sinking into his hand. Then he heard a pleasant baritone talking on an unclear to him language. Then the sound of someone's steps and something being closed probably the door. Artemis was left alone.

During that time he simply lay not moving and not opening his eyes. There was a real chaos going on inside his mind.

Carefully, as if his life depended on this movement, Artemis slightly opened his left eye. He saw some sort of tubes, strange devices and a ceiling with a few lamps at the corners.

"There is nothing bad in that." Thought the young man and opened the second eye.

Then he raised his head and was convinced, that he wasn't connected to any of the devices. This fact has gave him confidence that all is not so bad.

An unexpected idea came to him. Artemis sat straight up on the bed - to his surprise, it wasn't very hard - and stared at his chest. There weren't any wounds. Instead he saw a small circle of slightly dark skin.

"I can't believe that she still healed me." thought Fowl. " Though, maybe, it wasn't Holly. She would never take back her words. Probably Nika's work. Or someone else's. No, it was defiantly Nika."

The door smoothly opened and Nika Medici entered the room with an elf, whose face seemed vaguely familiar.

"Good afternoon, Fowl." Said Nika.

"Good afternoon, Medici" Fowl answered.

The young man noticed that Nika wasn't wearing her uniform anymore: from under the white dressing gown he saw dark blue jeans were, she was walking in a pair of very fashionable sharp-nosed shoes. Artemis looked at Medici's face and noticed deep scratches on her cheek and a swollen lip.

"Who did that?" asked Artemis.

"Lizzi." She answered shortly. " While you and Holly lay unconscious, I started tying her up. That mop regained consciousness and had a little time to fight with me. However, she looks far worse, so I left as a winner, again. I am afraid, they will throw me out of the police for this. And how can't they? I lifted a hand on the mistress of the chairman. Who cares that she is a real bitch and who should visit the psychiatrist? Can we sit down?"

Artemis nodded. Without thinking twice, Nika sat on an edge of his bed. As her friend took a chair beside him.

"Thank you for saving my life."

"Me? Don't make me laugh! I simply didn't allow for Liz to shoot you down."

Fowl was surprised, having heard this statement.

"Wait. You didn't cure me with the magic?"

For some reason Nika didn't laugh.

"No." She said in a cold voice. "Look at my face. I don't have magic. I hardly have any magic at all. It was Holly."

Holly! So he was mistaken. Sometimes it was good to make such mistakes.

Only then did he notice that Nika was behaving strange today: didn't joke, didn't try to annoy him, and didn't share her life experience. This alarmed him.

"Is everything all right with her?"

Nika nor her friend answered his question.

"Is she alive?" Asked Artemis, trying not to sound scared.

Medici's friend slowly nodded. Having seen this nod, Artemis sighed with obvious simplification.

"Then everything is all right?" He asked quietly.

The elf shook his head in a "No".

"Trouble is right." Nika sighed. "You see, there were some… complications."

Artemis wanted to shake her by her shoulders if won't say what was really going on.

"Then what's wrong with her?" He exclaimed.

Nika looked at Trouble and then cautiously begun to talk:

"You see, this is the second time she cured a mud … I meant to say human, under similar circumstances. You remember, she cured your friend?"

"Well, yes." Artemis answered and found that it really was true.

"She told me the story. As a result of her healing, he grew fifteen years older. That's because there wasn't enough of Holly's powers and Butler's body used its own internal resources. But this time everything went the other way around.

Her eyes were now red and she sobbed again.

"I'm not really good in these questions." She explained. "As far as I understood from the explanation the physician-magician gave me, during the healing she used her own resources."

"So what's wrong with her?"

"She's lost a part of her magic potential. And that is not the bad news."

Artemis moaned.

"God, what else?"

Niks gulped.

"She has very little left to live. Perhaps, eighty years. At the best - eighty five."

Artemis blinked.

So this is what coasted his cure! Poor, poor Holly! She did so much for him and this is how it turned out! Considering, that an elf can easy live up to one thousand years, eighty years was simply a pity delay. Besides, losing half of her magic wasn't a joke. Artemis wasn't sure but guessed that officers who have lost there magic, must leave the LEP.

"I rather should have died." Said Fowl-junior

Nika shook her head.

"Don't say such words."

"She didn't want to do it at first." Artemis said. "Why did she change her mind?"

"Holly is noble." sighed Trouble kelp. " Sometimes this nobleness plays against her."

Medici supported him.

"I am assured, that she would cure even Lizzi if she was on your place. That, however, does not prevent Holly from hating her." Said the elf.

"And You?" Asked Artemis though he already knew the answer.

Nika shook her head furiously and said something in gnomish- possibly swearing - and expressively twisted her finger at her temple.

"Well certainly!" She added in English with sarcasm. "I might even add! Lizzi is a parasite!"

Artemis looked around in search of his clothes, but didn't find anything.

"I must see Holly." He resolutely declared.

"And we where just about to take you from here."

"By the way." Captain Kelp interfered. " Holly doesn't know about that yet, how long she has to live. I think it will be better if she does not find out about this at all. So, Fowl keep your mouth closed."

Artemis nodded.

In the meantime Nika had risen and quickly left the room, without closing the door. Trouble turned to Artemis and explained:

"She went to get your things. By the way, I still represent the case and I can take you away any time you want."

Nika Medici returned in a few minutes. Not crossing the threshold, she threw Artemis his things and said:

"Put it on and come! We will wait in the corridor."

Trouble left too, closing the door behind him.

Artemis instantly got out from under the blanket and saw that all his things were washed and ironed. He put them on, looked round in searches of a mirror having found non he decided that it didn't mater right now how he looked and left the room.

Nika and Trouble waited for him in the corridor as promised.

Trouble sat on a low sofa and looked through the files on his cell phone. Medici was talking with an elf, dressed in a white dressing gown. Most likely a doctor.

"Do I understand correctly, that my friend still has a chance?" Nika inquired.

The doctor scratched the back of his head.

"Whell it is difficult to tell, Ms. Medici. I need to make some analysis. And it will take a few days. Then can I only answer your question more precisely."

"Ok, doctor Stably. See you soon."

Nika turned back and saw Artemis.

"Ready?" She inquired. "Then let's go."

The three of them left the hospital and came to the underground parking lot. Trouble Kelp approached a bright red electro mobile and put the chip to the special scanner on the door. He opened the door and sat on the drivers place as Nika sat next to him. Only Artemis continued to stand irresolutely near the left back door.

"What are you waiting for?" Asked captain Kelp.

"It looks like I must open the door for the rich boy!" Told Nika on her language.

Trouble didn't even sniff.

"Don't scoff at the mud man." he told his friend and, turning to Fowl continued in English. "Simply pull the handle as you, mud man usually do, only pull downwards."

Artemis took advantage of his advice and climbed inside the car.

"Great." Said Trouble and started the car.

"Where are we going?" Asked Artemis when the electro mobile was on a wide street going almost 160km/hr.

"To my place" Said Nika without even turning around.

_**A/N.-I'm soooo sorry for the long wait guys!Please review!.stands on knees  
**_


	2. Chapter 2

_Haven, Nika's apartment._

Nika lived in a two-leveled apartment with twelve rooms which Fowl didn't really like. It's just that Fowl-junior did not like the futuristic style in which the apartment has been arranged. He preferred the classics. Nevertheless, Nika felt quite at home among the vanguard cloths, original furniture and freakish fixtures. And the bar witch Artemis saw in the dining room combined with the kitchen, possibly, was her favorite design decision, Artemis noticed, as she gently stroked the polished granite surface.

"This house has windows?" Artemis was surprised, examining the drawn curtains with intricate figureS. "When we approached the house, I didn't even see anything similar to even a hole."

The girl pressed one of numerous buttons on the panel beside her and the curtains were automatically moved apart. Artemis saw a flat screen.

"There are no windows." Explained Medici. "Those are plasma screens. Basically, you can have any image on them, but I admire the sea more often. And on each side there are tiny but powerful built in dynamics. When I turn them on it seems to me, that I really am on the surface."

"You like the surface?" Artemis inquired.

Nika nodded.

"Yes, but only at night. It's a living hell in he afternoon. I remember, when I and Trouble where still in school, we and my brother lived for two months in Iceland."

"It was so amazing ." Added captain Kelp and sighed. "The air is completely different there."

"You want some tea?" Asked Nika.

"No." Said Artemis. " I wish to see Holly."

"Then you must go up." Nika responded, getting a bottle filed with dark blue liquid from the refrigerator. "A power cocktail." she explained, giving him a small smile. "About Holly. I have given her Nicole's room."

"Who is Nicole?" Artemis asked.

The tiny smile disappeared from Medici's face.

She bit her lower lip and pretended, seeing something interesting on the bare wall.

"Is doesn't matter." she said deafly after a long pause.

Trouble touched Artemis's shoulder and said:

"Let me show you to the room."

"What's with Medici?" Artemis asked surprised when they walked upstairs.

"She does not like to remember the past. Nicole is her older sister. She died together with their parents,." Explained Kelp.

"I did not know."

"Now you know. If you want Nika to remain your friend - do not mention this subject again." Trouble warned.

Artemis stopped.

"I wouldn't say that Medici considers me as a friend. She even calls me Fowl."

"It's just the way she is." Answered Trouble Kelp also stopping. "You know, how many years she called me by my surname? Even though we were great friends. I'm not the only one. But all the same, she is an excellent comrade."

They were interrupted by Nika Medici's high and angry voice.

" Is it obligatory to discuss me on your way upstairs?" She inquired. " For your information, I can hear perfectly. Thanks for the compliment, _Kelp_, but try to continue and move in the chosen direction. Otherwise I will be _very_ mad."

"Well you are always mad!" Artemis declared and started walking again.

"What do you even know about me?" She said. "Better go your Holly. I hope she whon't kill you."

Trouble pattered Artemis's shoulder. Probably to encourage the young man.

"The wasp is just in a bad mood."

"Wasp?" Artemis asked again. "Is it because she is so ulcer?"

"Almost," The elf smiled. "And also because she can be too importunate."

"Did i _really_upset her that much?

"She is also upset about Holly. Thinks that it's her fault. Here is Nicole's room. Perhaps, I shall leave you."

Without another word Trouble turned and went in the opposite direction. Artemis stood for a moment, trying to think of what he is going to tell Holly and then with a sigh, knocked. The expected "enter" did not follow.

"Holly, its me, Artemis."

"So what?" He heard her voice.

"I came to say thank you!"

"You just said it. Now you can go there from where you came from."

Fowl swore softly. What kind of person is she!

"Holly," he raised his voice. "If you will not allow me to enter then …"

The door swung open.

"Then what will you do?" Holly inquired.

She stood on the threshold, dressed in a dress of a gentle green color, looking curiously at Artemis. She was also a few inches taller, probably grew from the lack of magic, now only a head shorter then Fowl.Magnificently beautiful, he thought

"Nothing." Artemis murmured.

She held hands crossed over her chest as if trying to hide from him and Artemis didn't like that.

"Are we going to talk like this through the door?"

"I do not think, we have anything to talk about."

"If you opened the door, means there is." Artemis objected.

Holly frowned. Probably, thinking whether it is necessary to deal with this impudent mud man.

"Fine, come in." She murmured.

Artemis passed her and laid on the bed. Holly closed the door and turned around.

"Actually I was going to offer you the armchair," she said slowly.

"Thanks, but I like it here better."

Holly sniffed.

"You are incorrigible, Artemis Fowl. Sometimes I just want to strangle you."

Artemis smiled wildly. Holly nearly missed the chair from the surprise. Artemis Fowl can't smile like that. The only thing that he could do is grins, malicious remarks and sarcasm. But not a honest smile exposing his equal, perfectly white teeth!

"Do not worry, you are not the only one with those desires." He said without noticing her confusion. "Half of the people with which I faced, had the same problem."

"Why is it a problem?" Holly did not understand.

Artemis turned sideways to get a better view of her face.

"Because there is always Butler behind my back, captain Short."

"But now he isn't here!" Said Holly grinning. "You are alone and anybody is going to protect you."

She was so beautiful during this moment and her beauty was wild. Artemis barely suppressed the desire to come nearer to her, to kiss or even put his head on her knees. « You - are a Fowl, - he said to himself. - You are a Fowl, not some rag. Then behave yourself like a Fowl. Aren't there enough woman around you? Why do you need only her? Yes, she is an elf. But Nika Medici is also an elf and … » However, thinking of Nika didn't make his heart jump and beat faster.

Why, why did he only want her? Artemis did not know this. It wasn't just for her magnificent beauty. He has seen many beautiful girls, but the majority of them did not left even a vague trace in his heart. She is smart? But he also met a number of smart girls. Fowl got confused.  
She's matchless, it is a fact. It was always exiting to be with her. You never know what to expect from her. You always discover something new with her, earlier unknown …

Artemis closed his eyes and flouted in the waves of memoirs. Here he holds Holly. He was only thirteen, but he clearly understands that she will leave and he is in no power to prevent it. He would really like to ask her to stay, but he can't: he knows, that she remembers her debts.

And here she pulls his father from the ice water. Risks her life, spends her time. And in his heart a immeasurable feeling of gratitude strongly settles in towards this tiny elf.

Or here they argue, and Holly compares him with Spiro, saying that in a few years he will be a ruthless murderer. While he really wants to convince her that it is a lie, that she is mistaken in him, but no necessary words occur to him for some reason. And Holly sits on the bottom step of a ladder and looks the portraits of his ancestors.

He can remember hundreds even thousand of such moments. And all these visions lay down atop of his memory's of the last years, for ever superseding them and it becomes clear to Artemis that only _these _visions are unique and true …

"Fowl! What's wrong with you? Artemis!"

The young man opened his eyes and saw Holly before him.

"About time you wake up!" She exclaimed. Her tone changed from a disturbed to an annoyed.

"What's wrong?" he asked puzzled.

"You where unconscious," Holly said angry. "At least, it appeared that way."

"Are you unhappy in something?"

"Me? Unhappy? You are insane, Fowl."

Well, he couldn't actually say that she looked worried!

Artemis peered into her dark face. No, he shouldn't look for the reasons he loved her. Possibly, he loved her always only earlier this love was perceived by him as boundless respect. Though even know he didn't say that he doesn't respect her.

"Holly, I …"

What is there to say!

Artemis took her gently by the her shoulders and drew her closer, expecting to be punched and even leave with a few traumas. But Holly was suspiciously quiet, and Artemis leaned forward.

However, when their lips almost met, Holly suddenly moved aside and buried her face in Artemis's shoulder.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Artemis asked looking at the ceiling.

"You are a Fowl, and you are always used to getting what you want. But you will receive exactly as much, as I am wiling to give you!" Holly said firmly.

"Holly, I didn't …"

She covered his mouth with her small palm.

"Please shut up. I am asking you."

This did not resemble a romantic scene which he imagined. Nevertheless, he felt Holly's measured breath and this was enough as a blanket of happiness washed over him. Artemis closed fingers in the lock as if forever concluding Holly in a circle of his hands, and closed his eyes.

Looks like you don't need a solid bank account; it is not necessary to have gold to be happy. « Here is the gold. Right in your own hands! - A voice whispered to him. - Hold on to it, and don't let go ». « I won't. » - Artemis promised and smiled again.

But Holly didn't see this smile. She was asleep, dreaming of the sky as blue as Artemis's eyes.

——————————————————-

In the meantime Nika and Trouble Kelp sat at the bar stand adored by Medici and talked.

"Your problem is that you blame yourself for what happened." Said Trouble looking at Nika who was playing with her hair.

"But it is ." Nika answered. "If I wouldn't have asked Holly to look at Fowl, he wouldn't have had kidnapped us, and non of this would happen. Again, if I'd reacted a few seconds earlier and knocked out Lizzie , Holly wouldn't have to cure the mud man, and wouldn't have lost almost all of her magic. Besides I have threatened her career. No matter how you look at it, I'm at fault. I should have probably become housewife."

"That employment is not for you."

"But getting into trouble IS!" Medici gave a hard sighed. "Any day now I will probably get fired. And there is nothing to say about Holly!"

"I will try to cover for you." said captain Kelp. "As for Holly, unfortunately I'm powerless. Even Root wouldn't keep her if her magic will be less then we expect."

"Thanks, Trouble." Said Nika.

"Nonsense!" He smiled. "We are friends ever since we first started school. You are like my younger sister. You think, I would not do the same for Grub?"

"Grub is not your sister. He is your brother." Nika noticed . "Though sometimes its very difficultly to see the difference…"

Trouble burst out laughing.

"You know, Nika." Said Kelp, "Your fault isn't that you persuaded Holly to visit Fowl. Though it is an infringement that most likely, wouldn't just disappear. Possibly, the Council wouldn't even know about it. Its what you did to Lizzie. Now Karhets will revenge you and won't calm down, he will make your days working in the LEP hell.

"A gloomy prospect." the elf recognized. "Tomorrow the council will decide what to do with us. They ordered to bring Artemis. I think, they just wish to take a look at a real mud man. Yes, by the way about Artemis. I don't hear any shouts coming from the room such as "Save me, I'm being killed!"

"Perhaps Holly decided not to kill him?" Trouble Kelp assumed.

Medici yawned.

"I am too tired to find out, whether Artemis is alive or not. I'm going to sleep. You can stay; you know where the guest room is."

The man nodded.

Nika stood, has threw the empty bottle in the sliding container for garbage and left, wishing Trouble a good night sleep.

Unlike Holly,she didn't have any dreams.

* * *

_**A/N-Well thats as fast as i can go!;) Thank you for the reviews,i know this chapter was pretty boring, but i've got some interesting news in the next one.In fact things should get interesting right from there….**_


	3. Chapter 3

**_Chapter 3. _**

Artemis wok up early in the morning. Holly slept on his shoulder, her left hand rested on his chest. Her tousled auburn almost completely hid her face; Artemis could see only a part of her cheek and a pointed ear. She looks so peaceful, Artemis thought.

As if reading his mind, Holly opened her eyes, with a few movements showed back her hair, sat up and stretched gracefully, showing of her curves.

Artemis caught himself in the desire to take her shoulders and finish what he started last time.

« Wait, stop, - he mentally gave himself a slap. - You are still a Fowl, not a piece of butter on a heated pan. Concentrate, why did you come here ».

"Holly, we haven't finished talking."

Holly grinned.

"Now I know how people in your family say good morning!" She said. "If you must know we didn't even start a conversation. Someone's faint did not promote this. And then that someone actually tried to kiss me without my permeation."

"But the other someone fell asleep on my shoulder!" Artemis shot back. His silent admiration for the elf was quickly replaced by malice. "Nika would be so happy to find this. Sometimes it seems to me, that she is the real matchmaker. Doesn't she have her own personal life?"

Captain Short frowned.

"Hard to say. We aren't really that close. Besides, we now each other for only five years."

"And who is your closest friend?" Fowl asked.

Holly thought for a moment:

"Foaly or Trouble Kelp. It is difficult to say. You must know Trouble: he and Nika took you from the hospital."

Artemis nodded.

" But Trouble is very close to Nika. They know each other since childhood." Continued Holly.

"Holly, I want to talk about you." Said Artemis.

She looked at him confused.

"I really appreciate what you've don for me. And I am sorry that you have lost a part your magic. It's all my nonsense that got us into this mess. If I could do something for you…"

"You can," Nodded Holly. "Don't talk about this anymore. It's perhaps all that I ask."

This time Artemis looked confused.

'I don't want to remember…..some details," Holly said.

Fowl nodded.

"Agreed."

Holly got of the bed and straitened the ends of her dress. She opened the drawer on her desk and took her hairbrush.

"I would have liked to eat something," Fowl admitted.

"I think Nika wouldn't be upset if you rob her from some food," Holly sniffed combing her auburn hair. "Well I'm hungry too. If you can wait for a few minutes I will accompany you."

Interesting, what's the day of the week, he thought? And did Mr. and Mrs. Fowl return from the resort? And if they did what did they think finding that he wasn't home? And Butler?

"Holly," Artemis said worried. "Holly, where is Butler?"

Holly slowly put her brush down. Artemis could see that she was lost.

"I do not know," Holly almost whispered. "I was unconscious, as well as you."

Artemis squeezed his teeth. If Butler is dead then it is his fault. The bodyguard always trusted him without a question. He believed that his charge is capable to calculate all possible courses of the opponent and to find an optimum variant. As it has appeared, geniuses too can make mistakes. Mistakes which can cause others lives.

"Lets go," Said Holly, interrupting the stream of his ideas.

When they entered the dining room, Nika and Trouble where already sitting on the high stools at the bar. Artemis was a little surprised that they have got up so early.

After the greetings in the room ceased, Artemis sat on the stool and stared expectantly at Nika. Medici resisted his glare for several seconds, but Artemis nevertheless, won. Sighing the elf put down her fork and went to the refrigerator.

Having received his portion of toast with cherry jam and a big mug of hot tea, Fowl winked at Holly ,who ignored him, and begun to eat his breakfast.

"The dishwasher is over there," Pointed Medici . "Remember Fowl, I am not your maid."

"I will," Agreed Аrtemis. "You think that I am a spoiled young man from a rich family?

Nika nodded.

There was nothing to object to. Even partly she was right. Artemis never knew the needs in something, never engaged in heavy and dirty work, never thought of the daily food. However, he did not consider himself spoiled, if of course genius does not defect. He did not come home tipsy, did not cover himself with women, and did not behave defiantly with people who weren't as rich.

"Where is Butler?" Artemis asked. "Holly said that you would know."

"He is alright," Nika answered after finishing her coffee. "They just gave him a very strong tranquilizer."

"And what did you did with him?" Artemis strained. "You haven't transported him here, right?"

"Certainly, no," the brunette answered. "We dragged him to the sofa and left to sleep."

"Oh, what a difficult thing it was ." Trouble sighed rubbing his back.

"Nothing bad happened to him." Continued Medici. It has no side-effects. At least for the People."

Artemis wasn't confident in that however. He remembered that even he was afraid to give Holly anything like that thinking that she might not wake up at all.

"My parents and Juliet should have arrived," he noticed. "What would they think?"

"Foaly sent them e-mails from your name," Said Holly. "That you have supposedly rented a small cottage wanting to be alone."

"I do not think that, that will convince them."

"There's nothing to be done," captain Kelp said resolutely. "The Council wishes to see you."

"The Council?" asked Artemis. "What for."

"You, Holly and Nika had really got your self into a big mess. They will probably send them to the surface and erase your memory. Maybe thy will think of something else. It is impossible to say what Karhets might do. Between us, he was always such a blockhead.

"And when do they want to see us?" Asked Artemis feeling an unpleasant shiver run down his spine.

"Today at nine in the morning," was his answer.


End file.
